The answer lies in your genes

EARLY INTERVENTION

- BOSKY KHANNA @Bengaluru

RAJESH (name changed), a software professional in Gurugram, was only 25 years old when he suffered a heart attack. Unlike recent trends of work-related stress, it was not in his case, but there were telltale signs. “Over time I started repeatedly falling ill. I used to get tired at college and work. My workouts were also becoming strenuous. I started undergoing multiple tests and treatments for my deteriorating health. It was then doctors advised me to get a genetic test done after I complained of severe pain in my back. Soon, I suffered a mild heart attack,” he said.

His genetic tests revealed he carried a rare strain of type-1 diabetes. Discussions during treatment revealed that his grandparents had a history of diabetes and his parents were carriers of the strain. He is now undergoing treatment in AIIMS, Delhi.

Genetics play an underlying role in a person's health and medical experts point that early testing of one’s genetic pattern will be beneficial in choosing the right and healthy lifestyle to control diseases at the right time. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) in its 2023 report on noncommunicable diseases noted that heart ailments and diabetes cases are on the rise since a decade. The recent cases of multiple incidents of heart attacks among people of different age groups in Hassan, Karnataka, have also raised concerns among experts pointing to the need for genetic testing.

Genetic predisposition